CHAPTER 399: 384 VOMITED

Jiang Jinghuai’s deep eyes darkened slightly, his brow furrowed as he sank into deep thought.

"Just let Wenxiu stay," Ye Binyi suddenly smiled lightly. "Oh, by the way, Zhao Chun came to Beijing recently and even visited our home. He’s doing better and better these days. I wanted you two to catch up, but you weren’t here, so Sangsang caught up on your behalf. I had no idea they even knew each other."

Jiang Jinghuai’s gaze was dark, his emotions unreadable. He spoke faintly, "Mom, as long as it makes you happy, fine, let Wenxiu stay. But once school begins, she must leave."

"Alright, alright," Ye Binyi agreed readily, her eyes filled with tenderness as she looked at him. "You’ve lost weight and gotten a bit tanned. Come inside and eat. I personally cooked for you."

**

It had been a long time since father and son had seen each other. Meng Shuyan tilted his little head back, staring intently. "Daddy, what should I do if I don’t recognize you anymore?"

Jiang Jinghuai picked him up and chuckled softly. "Then take a good, long look. You’ve gotten heavier, Yanyan."

"Grandma feeds me," Meng Shuyan said, blinking his round, mischievous eyes as he tried to shift the blame.

Jiang Jinghuai helplessly pinched his tiny nose.

Meng Shuyan blinked his pretty eyes, eager to boast. "Daddy, I’ve learned to play the piano now. I’ll play for you all someday."

"Alright."

Jiang Jinghuai held Meng Shuyan for a while, chatting with him, then turned to talk with his father, leaving Tian Sangsang unable to find a chance to speak with him. During this time, Jiang Jinghuai’s gaze did flit towards her; he gave her a deep, meaningful look.

She offered him a slight smile, and he responded by curling his lips into a faint, understanding smile of his own.

Aunt Zhang started serving out the dishes Ye Binyi had prepared, with Tian Sangsang and Jia Wenxiu helping her. Perhaps because Jiang Jinghuai was home, Ye Binyi did not reject Tian Sangsang’s offer to lend a hand.

Ye Binyi’s cooking was decent, and the dining table was covered with a good variety of dishes. One of the dishes was stir-fried shredded pork with celery, cooked beautifully and exuding a delicious aroma. The shredded pork, carrot strips, and celery, with their varying colors and textures, created a visually appealing medley. Tian Sangsang really wanted to try it, but she refrained from reaching for any—she didn’t want to make a scene.

After all, it had celery in it.

Ye Binyi thoughtfully served her son a piece of red-braised lamb. "Here, Jinghuai, eat more!"

"Mom, I can help myself," Jiang Jinghuai said as he casually placed food on Ye Binyi’s plate, followed by portions for Meng Shuyan and Tian Sangsang. He then glanced around the table and said, "You all eat too—don’t just watch me."

Only then did everyone begin eating cheerfully and harmoniously.

Jiang’s father asked, "Jinghuai, how long will you stay this time?"

"Half a month. When that’s over, I’ll return to the army. But I can come back every Sunday from now on."

Noticing Meng Shuyan reaching for shrimp, Jiang Jinghuai attentively peeled one and brought it to his son’s mouth. The little guy happily ate it right out of his father’s hand, his eyes curving into crescent smiles. His delight meant Tian Sangsang didn’t need to intervene.

"That’s good, then," Ye Binyi said, watching the father and son interact with a smile on her face.

Tian Sangsang contentedly ate her rice, idly picking at it, occasionally taking a few bites.

Suddenly, she froze mid-chew, her brows furrowing uncomfortably.

How was there celery in this rice? Yet the taste in her mouth unmistakably screamed celery!

Ugh! She suppressed the urge to gag and did her best to keep her expression unchanged. It was rare for her mother-in-law to cook a meal; if she ran off to vomit now, what would Jiang Jinghuai think? What would her mother-in-law think?

She’d endured painstakingly for three months. Today, of all days, she couldn’t afford to leave a bad impression.

But celery had indeed triggered her nerves, and everything in her stomach seemed to revolt, churning upward toward her throat. Instinctively, she covered her mouth with her hand.

"Sangsang?" Jiang Jinghuai was the first to notice her anomaly, speaking gently with concern.

"Sister-in-law, are you alright?" Jia Wenxiu’s timid voice chimed in.

With these two speaking up, both Jiang’s father and Ye Binyi looked towards Tian Sangsang, as did Meng Shuyan and Aunt Zhang—one putting down his chopsticks, the other standing in the kitchen doorway.

Unable to hold back any longer and lacking the time to explain herself, Tian Sangsang ran to the bathroom under everyone’s gaze, retching violently. Once she spat out the celery, the nausea vanished instantly, but her body still felt uneasy, her stomach unsettled.

"Could Sister-in-law be pregnant?" Ji Wenxiu suggested sweetly at the table. "If so, that would be wonderful—another baby for the family!"

Ye Binyi’s face subtly changed.

Pregnant, when her husband had been away for three months? Her stomach didn’t look like it was beyond three months. It was flat, and her waist still slim. If she were really pregnant, this vixen would be courting disaster!

Jiang Jinghuai cast a faint glance at Jia Wenxiu, then calmly reassured everyone, "You all keep eating—I’ll go check on her."

Averting his gaze, Jia Wenxiu lowered her eyes sheepishly.

Meng Shuyan furrowed his little brow and started climbing down from his chair. "What’s wrong with Mommy?"

Ye Binyi comforted him, "Yanyan, your mom’s okay. She just ate something bad, that’s all. Nothing to worry about; your dad went to check on her. You keep eating, alright? Don’t be scared."

In the bathroom, Tian Sangsang clutched her head in frustration, staring at the mirror in despair.

Great, she had ruined a perfectly nice meal. What would everyone think of her now? She didn’t mean for this to happen!

"Sangbao, are you alright?" A warm hand gently rested on her back.

That familiar, low voice and the long-missed nickname made her heart fill with warmth, her eyes burning with tears.

Meeting Jiang Jinghuai’s gaze, she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. "I didn’t mean to. Mom finally cooked a meal, and then I went and threw up. What should I do?"

"It’s alright as long as you’re fine," Jiang Jinghuai said with a helpless smile, stroking her soft hair. "My mom won’t eat you alive—don’t stress so much." Internally, he found it odd. Why did his wife seem so afraid of his mother? Had something happened at home during his absence? His mom was always such a gentle person.

"The truth is... there was celery in my rice," she said dejectedly, lifting her face from his chest. "Otherwise, I wouldn’t have thrown up." Could this have been Jia Wenxiu’s doing? But did she know about her celery allergy?

Jiang Jinghuai’s dark eyes narrowed.

He took her hand and returned to the dining room, explaining, "Sangsang accidentally ate celery in her rice. She’s allergic to celery, and eating it makes her vomit. But there’s no need to worry—she’s fine now."

Ye Binyi’s expression soured inwardly.

What a poor excuse! She just didn’t like the food Ye Binyi had prepared and deliberately embarrassed her in front of her son. How could anyone be careless enough to let celery end up in rice? This woman was clearly framing her! Such a schemer!

Reluctant to escalate things with her son home, Ye Binyi said curtly, "Perhaps it was my mistake. Alright, let’s just keep eating."

Tian Sangsang noticed her mother-in-law’s expression and felt even more miserable. The already poor impression had only worsened. She gave Jia Wenxiu a brief glance, catching a flicker of complexity in her eyes. Her heart sank—that woman must have done this on purpose!